Lubricating system for adjustable multiple spindle drill head



Nov. 2, 1948. I R. B. AIMAN 2,452,709

' LUBRICATINGSYSTEM' FOR ADJUSTABLE MULTIPLE IISPINDLE DRILL HEADOriginal Filed Aug. 15, 1942 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Inventor y I I M Nov. 2,1948. v R. .B. AIMAN 2,452,709

' LUBBICATING SYSTEM FOR ADJUSTABLE MULTIPLE SPINDLE DRILL HEAD OriginalFiled Aug. 15, 1942 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 "'/////,7/////////Al A? l R. B.AlMAN 2,452,709

. LUBRICATING SYSTEM FOR ADJUSTABLE MULTIPLE SPINDLE DRILL HEAD OriginalFiled Aug. 15, 1942 3 Sheets-Sheet;

Patented Nov. 2,1948

.LUBRICATHNG SYSTEMFOR ADJUSTAHIIE MULTIPLE SPINDL'E'DRILL HEAD RollandB. Aiman, Pendleton lndi Original application August 15, 1942; SerialNo. 454,979, new Fat'ent No. 2349240, dated 'May 23, 1944.. Divided andthis application April 17, 1944, Serial No. 531,440

1 Claim. 1

This is a divisional application of my co-pending application Serial No.454,979, filed August 15, 1942, patented May 23, 1944, No. 2,349,240.

The present invention relates to new and useful improvements in multipledrill heads and has particular reference to that class of drill headshaving a multiplicity of adjustable drills, bits or other boring toolswhich may be operated in synchronism from a single master drivenspindle.

The invention has for its principal object the provision of novel meansfor lubricating the bearings of the several spindles of the tools aswell as for the gears provided for driving the spindles.

A further object is to provide lubricating means for a multiple spindledrill head of this character of simple and practical construction, whichis efficient and reliable in performance, relatively inexpensive tomanufacture and otherwise well adapted for the purposes for which thesame is intended.

Other objects and advantages reside in the details of construction andoperation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings forming part hereof, wherein likenumerals refer to like parts throughout and in which:

Figure l is a side elevational View of the multiple spindle drill headwith which the present invention is used.

Figure 2 is a top plan view with the cap removed.

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional View taken substantially on a line 3-3of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional View of the grease supply passage inthe cap.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken substantially on the line5-5 of Figure 3.

Figure 6 is a detail of one of the gears partly broken away and showingthe grease passage therein.

Figure '7 is a sectional view taken substantially on a line 'l'l ofFigure 6.

Figure 8 is a vertical sectional View of one of the spindles.

Figure 9 is a transverse sectional view taken substantially on a line 99of Figure 8, and

Figure 10 is a vertical sectional view of one of the shafts.

Referring now to the drawings in detail wherein for the purpose ofillustration I have disclosed a preferred embodiment of my invention,the numeral 5 designates a circular body having a recess 6 in its uppersurface to form a gear chamber which is closed by a cap 1.

Journaled in the cap is a drive spindle or shaft 8 adapted for drivingengagement with a drill press (not shown) and secured to the lower endof the spindle 8 is a spur gear 9 positioned in the chamber 6. Alsopositioned in the chamber 6 are a plurality of gears l0 engaging thegear 9, each of the gears l0 being secured to a shaft ll journaled inthe body and projecting downwardly therefrom into a spindle housing l2.

One of the housings I2 is provided for each shaft l I and the housingsare secured to the underside of the body 5 by means of bolts l3 threadedinto units [4 of arcuate form and slidably positioned in an annularchannel l5 of T-shape in cross section, as shown in Figure 3, thechannel being concentric with respect to the shaft H.

A spindle I6 is journaled in each housing [2 by means of upper and lowerbearing assemblies I1 and I8 and an intermediate bearing assembly [9,the bearings l 8 and [9 being maintained in spaced relation by a sleeve20 secured in a tubular portion 25 of the housing by a set screw 22.

Between the upper and intermediate bearings is a gear 23 secured to thespindle and engaging a gear 24 secured on the lower end of the shaft II.

The spindles 16 of each housing may be adjusted relative to each otherand circumferentially with respect to their associated shafts by thebolts l3 and the slidable nuts i l in the channels l'5.

A grease fitting 25 is connected to a grease passage 26 in the cap I,the passage leading to the gear chamber 6.

The gears l0 are provided with a radially extending grease passage 21having a ball check valve 21' therein and extending inwardly from apoint between the teeth of the gear to the center thereof andcommunicating with a lateral passage 28 in the shaft H which leads to alongitudinal passage 29 and then to a lower lateral passage 30 into apassage 3| in the gear 24. The grease is then forced into a radialpassage 32 in the gear 23 which communicates with a lateral passage 33in the spindle l-6 to a longitudinal passage 34 from which lateralpassages 35 extend to the several bearing assemblies. The passage 34also extends through both ends of the spindle to lubricate the toolattached thereto.

From the foregoing it will be apparent the spindles may be adjustedrelative to each other in the annular channels I5 through the use of thebolts l3 and nuts Hi.

It is believed the details of construction, advantages and manner of useof the device will be readily understood from the foregoing withoutfurther detailed explanation.

Having described the invention, What is claimed as new is:

A multiple drill head comprising a body having a gear chamber thereinadapted to receive a lubricant under pressure, a drive spindle journaledin the body, a plurality of shafts having lubricating passages therein,spur gears keyed respectively to the spindle and to the shafts in thechamber and operatively connecting the spindle with the shafts, a radialgrease passage in the gears of the shafts communicating with thechamber, a check va1ve in each of said passages, a plurality of drivenspindles having lubricating passages therein, and spur gears connectingthe shafts with the respective driven spindles, said last-named gearshaving communicating radial passages and.

also providing communication between the passages of the shafts and thepassages of the driven spindles.

ROLLAND B. AIMAN.

